91̽��

From hip-hop, jazz and tap, to a hybrid of modern dance and traditional Chinese fan dancing, student choreographers and dancers are preparing for this weekend’s Winter Dance Concert.

One of the most popular productions each year, the concert features 65 dancers in 15 dances, plus several students working as tech crew, stage managers, light and soundboard operators, and backstage crew.

One of the concert’s main draws is that it’s “quintessentially 91̽��,” involving trained dancers who take dance classes as part of their curriculum, alongside students who are dancing for the first time, says performing arts faculty member Kelli Edwards. “We have students for whom dance is really a priority, and then others who took a chance and auditioned,” Kelli says. “That combination makes it a richer experience for everybody.”

Student dancer and choreographer Annie Auguste (II) says the Dance Concert is a great way to build relationships with students across class years and to connect with adults on campus. “It’s also nice to be part of something that everyone in the community can appreciate and enjoy watching,” says Annie, who is choreographing the finale piece. “For the choreographers, it’s a really great leadership opportunity, and a great outlet for self-expression.”

The Winter Dance Concert opens in King Theatre on Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m., followed by performances Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 4, at 7 p.m.

.

The student one-act plays are a much-anticipated performing arts event and are a venue for student directors and actors to showcase their talents in a broad array of plays and topics. This year there are three one-acts, completely directed, acted and tech-supported by students.

This is the second year that Henry Claudy (I) has directed a one act. This year he chose the play “Face Divided” by Edward Allan Baker. The drama takes place in a Providence emergency room, where a mother brings her injured young daughter, but questions arise about the injury when the father arrives. Henry says most of his 91̽�� theater experiences focused on comedy, so he wanted to try something different.

“I love directing,” says Henry. “It gives you a lot of skills that can be applied to your life outside of theater. I love doing the auditions. It’s fun finding a scene for the actors and seeing how they choose to perform it. This play has some real challenging scenes, especially between the husband and wife.”

Alex Chen (II) is directing “English Made Simple” by David Ives.  “I chose the play because it is a funny, short play about the little details of English conversation.  A guy and a girl meet at a party and proceed to have a standard conversation.  However, as the play progresses, the audience is made aware of their true history.  Then there is a third character, who acts more like a teacher, teaching the audience about how English speech works and what generally meaningless small talk actually means.  I love how the play starts out like an instructional video teaching viewers how to chat with others and ends up with a couple with a newfound love for each other.”

Dorsey Glew (II) is directing “Yesterday” by Colin Campbell Clements. “I chose it because it was written in the 1920s, so I could play with the time period and with this story, the actors and director can play with the characters’ many different nuances.”

The One Acts begins in the Studio Theatre on Thursday, February 23, and Friday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 25 at 7 p.m.

Beginning with a single suggested word from the audience, “ravioli,”, the 3Peat improv troupe rolled out a series of hilarious scenes for students at King Theatre. Five members of 3Peat, an acclaimed part of Chicago’s vibrant improv comedy scene, came to 91̽�� as a Melissa Gold Visiting Artist. They performed for students, held a master class in the basics of improv, and visited several classes, including improvisation and public speaking. Students had several opportunities to perform with the professionals.

“The students were way ahead of what I was expecting,” 3Peat member Torian Miller said. “They didn’t hesitate to get up and participate. As a group, we don’t judge one another. It’s a space where you can feel safe to be silly and just have fun.”

The 10-member team, which plays every Monday at Chicago’s legendary iO Theater, formed in 2012. The performers, who are all black, were friends and improv teachers involved in Chicago comedy, but felt pressured to compete with one another for a limited number of parts in theater and television. They decided to work together.

“We love one another, and we all know each other’s skills. It’s a very supportive environment on stage,” Nnamdi Ngwe said. Speaking to students after the performance in King, Mr. Ngwe encouraged future performers to “keep being great and stay humble,” saying that maintaining a reputation as a team player will help in any tight-knit arts community.

When they teach improvisation, the performers said, the worst thing for a newcomer to expect is to be “the funny one” on stage. Instead, they should come prepared to listen and to build upon what the other performers do. “You also have to listen to your audience, because you don’t know what they’re going to be like when you start,” said Lisa Beasley. “We have a responsibility to train them to understand what they’re going to see.”

The Melissa Gold Visiting Artist series commemorates Melissa’s life and interests by bringing internationally recognized artists to campus. To learn more about 3Peat, visit their .

Watch 3Peat perform in King Theatre

Knowing who will help you along your life path is impossible, so it’s best to show kindness to everyone, television and film choreographer Danielle Flora told students on Monday.

Ms. Flora, who has choreographed sketches, monologues and performances for “Saturday Night Live” for 17 years, said that connections she made throughout her career as dancer and choreographer opened doors to incredible opportunities. “Be nice to everyone, from the person who gets your coffee to the director. Being respectful really makes a difference,” Ms. Flora told students. Leaving a good impression matters in the entertainment industry, where word about personalities and work ethic travels quickly.

“The set designer at ‘Saturday Night Live’ is the person who recommended me for ‘Lip Sync Battle,’” Ms. Flora noted, referencing a segment from “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” that became its own show on Spike. “You should always be professional, and try to find a way to relate to the people you meet.”

Ms. Flora started her career as a New York Knicks City Dancer after studying acting at Emerson College. A chance meeting with Beth McCarthy-Miller, the director of “Saturday Night Live,” launched her into her first choreography job at the NBC show. She has also worked on “The Tonight Show,” “30 Rock,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” and several televised awards ceremonies, as well as the feature films “Trainwreck,” “The Night Before,” and “Date Night.”

During her two-day visit to 91̽��, Ms. Flora taught a hip hop dance master class that was open to students and adults, and worked with students in drama and . At night, she joined students for an informal discussion about her work.

The world of professional dance is highly competitive, Ms. Flora said, recalling auditioning hundreds of dancers for 12 spots on “Lip Sync Battle.” Aspiring dancers should never stop learning, attending classes and watching peers’ performances, she said. “Pay attention and watch other dancers. You get so much out of watching somebody do something well—from their facial expressions, the angle of their hands. All those little details matter,” she said. “Entertainment can be a rough business, but a lot of the dancers I’ve worked with have been able to see the world while on tour with some of the most famous musicians. They get to spend their lives doing fun and creative things.”

Ms. Flora was the first Melissa Dilworth Gold ‘61 Visiting Artist of the school year. The series commemorates Melissa’s life and interests by bringing internationally recognized artists to campus.

Five-time Grammy-winning bassist, Victor Wooten, returns to 91̽��’s campus on Monday, December 5, from 7:30–9 p.m. to perform a fundraising concert in King Theatre to benefit the jazz program’s 2017 South Africa Tour.

Mr. Wooten first performed at the School in 2014 with his group, Bass Extremes. Music faculty member Bob Sinicrope is excited to welcome him back for this rare solo concert. “Victor Wooten has a new MIDI bass that allows him to produce sounds of different instruments,” says Bob. “This should add a special dimension to this performance.”

Money raised from the event will help support 91̽��’s eleventh trip to South Africa—creating scholarships for advanced jazz students wanting to join this year’s tour and adding to the $170,000 worth of instruments and materials already donated to school programs in South Africa in previous years.

.

Watch a live webcast of the event.

91̽�� Jazz 2015 South Africa Tour